Genre: Narrative Collection of poems, character, portraits, parody, estates satire, romance, fabliau.
The
original plan of Chaucer in Canterbury tales was that every character would
tell four tales- two on the way to Canterbury and two while returning. But the
text ends with 24 tales while the party is still on the way to Canterbury.
The
dialect used in Canterbury Tales is the SOUTHEAST MIDLAND DIALECT, which is now
the Standard English. The framework of Canterbury Tales is borrowed from
Boccaccio’s DECAMARON. The General Prologue to Canterbury Tales is also called
‘Portrait gallery of 14th Century England’ and in in Dryden’s words-
God’s Plenty.
29
pilgrims meet in Tabard Inn. 31 including the poet and Harry Bailey. Pen
pictures of 21 pilgrims. 23 tell stories and Chaucer tell two: Tale of Sir
Thopas and Tale of Melibeus (Prose form). Only four and twenty are completed.
It begins with the Knight’s Tale and ends with the Parson’s which is in the
form of prose treatise.
Canterbury
Tales has two parts:
I Part consists of prologues and interludes, portrays the
characters and their actions. It shows the perishable side of men and women of Chaucer’s
day: their habits, dress and conversations.
II Part consists of stories and reflects the comedies and
tragedies. It reveals an imperishable world of thought, feeling and ideas.
The
scene opens on a Spring evening , where the poet (Chaucer) comes to Tabard Inn
in Southwark. The Inn is full of merry company of men and women going on a
pilgrimage to the Shrine of Thomas Becket in Canterbury. After dinner, the
jovial host, Harry Bailey (owner of Tabard Inn) joins the pilgrimage. To
entertain on the way, he tells everyone to tell stories and the best tale would
be given good food after returning.
The
Prologue: the best single fragment of the Canterbury tales which introduces us
to the characters of his drama.
We
meet different types of characters. Some of them are:
The
GRAVE KNIGHT (a model of chivalry at its best) juxtaposed with the GAY SQUIRE
(young man full of life and love).
KNIGHT”S
TALE:
Characters:
1. Theseus (Duke of Athens)
2. Imprisoners: Arcite and Palamon (two
knights from Thebes)
3. Theseus’ Sister: Emelye
Arcite
freed and banished. Palamon marries Emelye
MILLER’S
TALE:
1. Student: Nicholas
2. Landlord and his sexy wife Alisoun.
3. Carpenter: John
4. A young Parish Clerk: Absolon
REEVE’S TALE:
2 Students: John and Alayn
John seduces Miller’s Wife and Alayn seduces
Miller’s daughter.
COOK’S TALE:
Consists of an apprentice named Perkyn. Who dances
and drinks so much that he is called Perkyn Reveler. The tale breaks off
unfinished after 58 lines.
THE MAN OF LAWS:
Muslim Sultan of Syria converts his entire sultanate
into Christianity in order to persuade the emperor of Rome to marry his
daughter Custance. Sultan’s mother and her attendants remain secretly faithful
to Islam. Custance runs to Northumberland. Rescued by Constable and his wife
Hermengyld. Satan murders Hermengyld. Alla the king of Northumberland marry.
Alla away to Scotland. Custance delivers a baby boy, Mauricius. Alla’s mother
Donegild. Custance returns to Rome and unities with Alla. Mauricius is the next
emperor of Rome.
WIFE OF BATH’S TALE:
Lengthy account of her feeling about marriage.
Fifth husband: JANBYN (marries him for love than
money)
Friar interrupts and says that she is taking too
long.
FRAIR’S TALE:
Tale of lecherous Summoner.
Tale of Archdeacon- who carries out law without
mercy. He has a summoner who asks for
more money than penance.
The summoner tries to summon a Yeoman, who is
actually a devil in disguise. Later a widow, who calls for the devil and sends
summoner to hell.
SUMMONNER’S TALE:
In hell, the angel pulls up satan’s tail and 20,000
friar’s come out of his ass.
Thomas, a dying man and his wife – who have recently
lost their child is asked for money by Friar. Thomas lets out an enormous
fart and is shared by all friars.
CLERK’S TALE:
Tale by Italian poet Petrarch. Patient Griselda
(Hard working peasant)
MERCHANT’S TALE:
Old Knight named JANUARY marries MAY, a b’ful young
woman.
MAY cheats January with Sqiure, DAMIEN. Pluto, the
king of faeries restores January’s sight
but May assures him that he should be blind.
SQUIRE’S TALE:
King Cambyuskan and his daughter Cancee of the
Mongol Empire is given gifts by Knight from the King of Arabia and India.
Cancee is given a magic brass horse, a magic mirror, a magic ring that gives
her the ability to understand the language of birds.
FRANLIN’S TALE:
It is a folk ballad of ancient Brittany.
Dorigen- heroine; Arveragus- husband; Aurelius-
boyfriend
PHYSICIAN’S TALE:
Appius- judge lusts Virginia- daughter of Virginius.
Appius’ slave Claudius.
Appius kills Virginius, and roman people aware of
his wrongs throw his into prison where he kills himself.
PARDONER’S TALE:
Tale of three riotous youths who go in search of
death.
SHIPMAN’S TALE:
Features a monk who tricks a merchants wife to have
sex and money. The tale is borrowed from Stevenson’s Treason.
THE PRIORESS’ TALE
Prioress calls Virgin Mary to guide her tale.
The Christian School of an Asian City which is
located in the edge of a Jewish Ghetto. Angelic, a 7 year old boy, widow’s son
attends. Sings – ALMA REDEMPTORIES (gracious Mother of the Redeemer)
CHAUCER’S TALE:
Tale of Sir Thopas (not completed)
Tale of Melibee (Moral prose story)
Melibee – his wife, Pridence and his daughter Sopie.
THE MONK’S TALE:
Tells a series of tragic falls by noble figures:
Lucifer, Sampson, Hercules, Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, Zenobia, Pedro of
Castile.
NUN’S PRIEST’S TALE :
Canticleer, the rooster
SECOND NUN’S TALE:
Story of St. Cecilia; her husband- Valeria and her
brother- Tiburce.
MANCIPLE’S TALE:
Tale of the legend of Phoebus’s WHITE CROW
This is taken from the Roman poet Ovid Metamorphoses
and one of the Tales in Arabian Nights.
The
modest PRIORESS (EGLENTYNE) (with pretty clothes and exquisite manners from the
boarding school) juxtaposed with the WIFE OF BATH (who talks about women’s
rights)
The
Church: Hunting Monk and the begging FRIAR (HUBERT) juxtaposed with the PARSON, who practices
true religion before he preaches. The Parson’s Tale which concludes the work is
in a prose treatise.
Trade:
MERCHANT
Scholarship
by CLERK OF OXENFORD
Professions
by DOCTOR and MAN OF LAW
Common
folk by YOOMEN, FRANKLYN (a farmer),
MILLER AND SHIPMEN.
Most important tales:
The
Knight’s Romance of ‘Palamon and Arcite’(based on Boccaccio’s TESEIDA)
Clerk’s
Old ballad of ‘Patient Griselda’ (Story of ideal womanhood)
Humour
is delicate in foibles of DOCTOR and MAN OF LAW or in the Priest’s translation
of CHANTICLEER’S evil remark on women. Humour broadens in WIFE OF BATH, who
manages several husbands by making their lives miserable. A little of
grim(harsh irony) when MAUNCIPLE tells the difference between a big rascal and
the little rascal.
Character description:
Knight
is polite and mild fashioned. Knights’s son SQUIRE who is strong, beautiful,
curly haired young man dressed in clothes embroidered with dainty flowers and
is more dedicated towards love. Accomplishing the Knight and the Suire is the
Knight’s YEOMAN, who wears green from head to toe, carries enormous bow and
beautifully feathered arrow, a sword and a small shield. His attire suggests
that he is a forester.
Prioress
named MADAME EGLENTYNE:
·
Imitates the
royal court in her manner.
·
Speaks French
with provincial English accent.
·
Wears a set of
prayer beads and a golden brooch that features in Latin ‘Love Conquers All’.
·
Another Nun and
3 Priests accompany her.
MONK is extremely handsome and loves hunting. He
keeps many horses.
FRIAR is a member of a religious order and lives by
begging.
MERCHANT is
attired in nice boots and imported fur hat. He speaks constantly of his
profits.
CLERK is a student of philosophy at Oxford.
MAN OF LAW is an influential Lawyer.
William
Caxton first published Canterbury Tales in 1470.
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